Driving axle unit



J. D. RAucl-l 2,377,574

DRIVING AXLE UNIT Filed Aug. 9, 194s 2 sheets-sheet 1 June 5, 1945.

Patented June 5, 1 945v `UNITED STATES PATE mam NT N ori-ICE nalvxNG am nrnr John D.' Ranch. Fort Wayne, Ind. Application 4mmm 9, 194s, serial' No. 491,916 s claims. (ci. 19o-"25) My present invention embodies improvements in `.running gear for base traction structures for limitation of the rocking movement is provided by means'of stops l projected from the member I and having adjustable screws for determining the extent of the rocking of the parts 2 relatively tothepartI.

The drive' from the power plant carried in the cab or on the crane body supported by the supdriving axle units has been to make provisions for the housing of the driving gears winch carry the driving forces directly to the traction or driving wheels; also the construction of the unit in such a way as to readily adapt for use therewith conventional differential and brake umts at present commonly in use.

My invention involves other detail features of construction of the axle unit as will appear more fully hereinafter in conjunction with the vaccom--v panying description andannexed drawings, in which:

i Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view through the base portion of a crane body illustrating somewhat diagrammatically the mounting of the drive axle units, turntable base, and transmission device for carrying the drive from the center-pin axis of the crane to the front and rear axle units.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the rear axle unit alone and showing the tire removed from l the wheel rims.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the unit illustrated in Figure 2, dotted lines showing the tire carried by the wheel rims, the wheels being of the dual wheel type.

Since my present improvements appertain primarily to a drive axle unit structure, the general arrangement of these structures in conjunction with the machine will be described without great detailing thereof, said general arrangement being I more fully shown in my patent above referred to and not being a part of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that the frame features of my machine include the supporting member I for the turntable or body of the crane, if the latter is of the full circle or rotating type. Thissupporting member is carried by a chassis composed of frame side members 2 having bearing openings intermediate their ends receiving lateral trunnions 3 projecting from the supporting member I. The chassis side members 2, 4

therefore, are adapted to rock relatively to the member l about the trunnions l as an axis, and

porting member I, is carried through Vthe centerpin axis l of the supporting member. I in the well known manner and by the provision of's'uitable gears I and longitudinal shaft members l partly illustrated, the latter equipped with suitable universal joints 9. Said drive is carried to the front and rear axle umts which are generally designated A and B respectively in Figure 1 of the drawings.

The axle units A and B are mounted spaced forwardly and rearwardly from the main supporting member I, and, asseen in Figure 2, the said axle units comprise a central housing or section I0 and end bearing members Il suitably rigidly -connectedtogether as a unit. The supporting member I has forward and rearward extensions I2 equipped with trunnions receivable in bearing parts I3, one of which projects rearwardly from the central portion of the front housing Il and the other of which extends forwardly from the central portion of the rear housing III of the respective front and rearaxle units. The above construction aifords a pivotal or rocking connection between the central portions of the front and rear axle units and the member I, thus providing for relative up and down movements of the wheels carried by each axle unit.

The drive of the power plant of the machine is taken from the shaft elements 8 and transmitted to the front and rear wheels by a known type of differential and brake unit generally shown at C in Figures 2 and 3. 'I'his unit may be a conventional Ford brake and 'diiferential unit, the diil'erential feature being designated generally at I4 and the brake parts at II. The units C for the'front and rear axles are arranged to drive lcountershafts I6 superposed in relation to the wheel drive shafts I1 and disposed substantially intermediate the latter. The diiferential or countershafts I6 are mounted in housing members Il forming parts of the central housing section of the axle unit. The said differentialy shafts I6 carry the upper drive pinions I9 of the spur type which mesh with the driven gears 20, the latter being keyed to the wheel shafts I1. The gears Il are keyed to the shafts I8.' The shafts I1 are mounted in bearings 2l of the central housing section I0 ofeach axle unit, and said parts I1 are also mounted inthe -The central housing end bearing members I I which are attached to the central housing section I0, as 4previously described. The wheels employed are dual wheels and therefore the drive effectl of the wheel drive shaft 1 is transmitted by conventional connecte Bythe construction of axle units as described above, it will be apparent that the differential drive shafts I 6 with their-diil'erential gear connecting means and the brake lunits I5 as well as the differential unit I4 itself are disposed in a plane above the axis of the axle unit, assuming said axis to be-the line of the shafts I l. `Furthermore, the driving gears andV associated part-s at the central portion of each unit are fully housed by the central housing section 'I0 and the housing members 'I8 carried thereby, thus avoiding any liability of dirt or foreign matter lodging in the gearing by which the power transmitting forces are carried from the -dierential and brake u nits C to the driving axles I1.

however, being known in the art and therefore' not particularly described. They enable the em- A ployment of the ordinaryssteering arms capable of being operated from the superstructure or cab or turntable portion of crane type machine.

The steering is accomplishedby a vertical center shaft passing through center driving shaft The invention affords a simplified construction of parts for each axle unit andone which is adapted to be readily assembled, while at the same time the various parts of the differential gear units, brake units, and gearing are readily accessible in the event oi' requirements to make repairs or replacements. A

Owing to the arrangement of the gear members I9 and 20, it will be evident that the constructiony is adapted for combination with conventional differential and brake units such as previously referred to herein, that'shown being i stated to be the Ford type now in common use.

The front axle unit used issubstantially the same as the rear axle unit except provisions of a known class are employed whereby ball and socket connections between steering axle sections of the drive axles I'I are availed of, these,

and controlled by means in the cab.

Having thus described my invention, what I A claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patl 1. A driving axle unit of the class described, comprising, in combination, a central housing section, end bearing members united with and extending from the ends of said central housing section, wheel drive shafts supported by the end bearing members and having wheels drivably engaged with the outer ends of said drive shafts, the inner ends of said drive shafts extending into said central housing member and supported in bearings carried thereby, a single differential and brake unit mounted on differential driving shafts intermediate the inner ends o fsaid wheel drive shafts, said differential driving shafts being supported by spaced housing members integral with the central housing section aforesaid, driven gears carried by the inner ends of said wheel drive -shafts engaged with driving pinions on adjacent ends of said differential drive shafts and within the said spaced housing members, and driving means for the differential and brake unit aforesaid. v

2. A driving axle unit as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the differential driving shafts of the differential and brake unit are supported above and parallel to the wheel driving shafts, and wherein the diierential and brake unit parts are dis-` posed substantially between the housing members carried by the ce'ntral housing section and which enclose the driving pinions and driven gears connecting the differential shafts to the wheel driving shafts.

3. A driving axle unit as claimed in claim 1, in which the central housing section is formed with a horizontally centered trunnion socket or opening and also formed at spaced intervals from said socket or opening with similar trunnion receiving sockets or openings adjacent to the ends of the section adapted to receive trunnions at the front ends of chassis or frame side members.

' JOHN D. RAUCH. 

